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tee for a better approach angle. T e green, like many, slopes from back to front.
HOLE 2 556 YARDS, PAR 5
T is hole is accessible in two if a contestant is willing to hit his tee ball to the right half of the fairway, taking a chance with out-of-bounds. Anything to the left half or the left rough brings a bunker in play with the second shot. Subtle breaks on the green may be hard to detect.
HOLE 3 256 YARDS, PAR 3
T e USGA has many op- tions here with elevated teeing grounds ranging from 195 yards to 256, and hole locations that can bring bunkers into play or be diffi cult to hit close. T e elevated green lies almost diagonally, and is 47 yards from front to back.
HOLE 4 628 YARDS, PAR 5
Merion’s longest hole starts with a blind tee shot; the best shape is left to right. A layup should favor the left, but going too far means a tricky approach to a green that slopes away. Eff orts to reach in two are discouraged by a creek running in front of the green.
HOLE 5 504 YARDS, PAR 4
T is entire hole pitches from right to left. Players hit a mid- to long-iron approach with their feet below the ball, trying to keep from hooking the shot into a stream left of the green. If the ball stops above the hole on this green, then a 2-putt is quite an achievement.
HOLE 6 487 YARDS, PAR 4
A contestant trying too hard 14
to avoid out-of-bounds on the right may wind up in bunkers that extend for about 70 yards on the left side. T e uphill ap- proach shot must fi nd its way between bunkers left, right and back on a green that slopes from left to right.
HOLE 7 360 YARDS, PAR 4
T is hole could have hearts beat- ing if the USGA moves the tee forward to tempt players to go for the green. If the tee is back, players may have to fl irt with the tight out-of-bounds on the right to fi nd the middle of the fairway. T e green is multitiered.
HOLE 8 359 YARDS, PAR 4
A forward tee location is possible here. Otherwise, the best drive travels between fescue-topped bunkers on either side, but does not go beyond the fl attest part of the landing area. A front bunker will gobble up shots to a front- hole location, and the green itself is bowl-shaped.
HOLE 9 236 YARDS, PAR 3
A new teeing ground fi nds play- ers probably hitting the same clubs as the fi eld in 1981, from about 50 yards closer. Each hole location on the long, tiered green brings a special set of problems: one, a huge bunker on the left; another, a ridge in the right section of the green.
HOLE 10 303 YARDS, PAR 4
Expect players to go for the green off the tee, but there must be some thought behind the strategy. T e bunker guarding the green is a good target, but stray drives to either side may wind up in fescue. T e green is diffi cult to read.
Hole 12 Merion offi cials rebuilt the green to reduce a severe back-to-front slope, opening up more baffl ing hole locations
Hole 11 One of golf’s most historic holes has a new look
Hole 13 The easiest hole on the course is far from a breather
Hole 15 One of Merion’s tougher driving holes
COURTESY USGA/JOHN MUMMERT
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